Colts overpower Petes with shutout win
‘Not our best night,’ coach says after loss
BARRIE — The Peterborough Petes were affected by a power outage on Saturday night.
It had nothing to do with electricity, as the Petes’ normally reliable power play went zero for seven in a 2-0 loss to the Barrie Colts.
Jet Greaves picked up the shutout as the Petes outshot Barrie 33-29 in front of 3,511 spectators at the Colts Centre.
It was the first time in six games that the Petes failed to earn a point, after four wins and an overtime loss.
The Petes entered the game with the OHL’s fourth-best power play — at 27.2 per cent — but couldn’t solve the Colts’ penalty kill, which ranked just 16th overall. The Petes’ advantages included a four-minute power play and full two-minute five-on-three.
The loss cost the Petes an opportunity to grab sole possession of first place in the OHL and in the Eastern Conference, with the Oshawa Generals falling 3-1 to the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.
It was Oshawa’s second straight loss. The Petes (14-6-1) and Generals (14-5-1) are tied with 29 points.
“You have to bury your chances on the PP, and when you don’t it usually comes back to hurt you,” said Petes head coach Rob Wilson. “We took a not great penalty and they buried it.
“I think we worked hard and fought right to the end, so I can’t fault our work ethic. I don’t think we were as clinical as we wanted to be on the PP and we gave up one on the PP and that was the difference.”
It wasn’t as if they didn’t create chances on the power play, he said.
“I have to give their goaltender some credit. He played pretty well.
“As coaches, we felt we were in some good positions to score and shot the puck over the net or shot wide, which might have added to our shot total, which adds to your rebounds, which adds to possible goals.
“Not our best night.” An unlucky bounce for the Petes cost them a 1-0 Colts lead 9:46 into the game. Victor Hadfield threw a puck at the net that ricocheted off Jacob Frasca’s leg and past Hunter Jones.
Jones had to be sharp to kick aside a short-handed scoring chance. Declan Chisholm hit a goal post at the other end on the same power play. Nathan Allensen hit the Petes’ crossbar on a Barrie power play, off a giveaway by a Petes defender.
The Petes looked like they tied it in the opening minute of the second period, when Mason McTavish took Semyon Der-Arguchintsev’s drop pass, moved into the slot and ripped a shot past Greaves. The goal was called back on an offside call after video review.
Luck continued to be evasive for the Petes as Cameron Butler fired a shot off the post in the latter stages of the second.
The Petes failed to take advantage on a four-minute highsticking penalty to Tyler Tucker and an overlapping two-minute five-on-three when Aidan Brown was tagged for tripping.
Greaves made a couple of saves, one of which was a David Maier point blast off his mask.
A Maier slashing penalty 11 seconds into the third period gave Barrie a power play and the Colts made good on it. Tucker one-timed Tyson Foerster’s pass 31 seconds later for an insurance goal.
Jones stopped Jason Willms on a clear-cut breakaway to keep it 2-0 five minutes into the third.
The Petes had chances with Jones pulled for an extra attacker, but couldn’t beat Greaves.
The Petes’ next action is a 10:30 a.m. School Day Game against the Bulldogs in Hamilton on Wednesday.
They are back home Thursday night against the Kingston Frontenacs and Saturday night versus the Kitchener Rangers.
NOTES: The three stars were: 1. Jet Greaves (B); 2. Jacob Frasca (B); 3. Tyler Tucker (B).